Hidden Scotland
Sign in
The Waterwheel Cafe's covered timber veranda at Philiphaugh, with folding tables and chairs along the deck and the cafe's glazed doors on the right.
Scottish Borders

The Waterwheel Cafe

A cafe on the Philiphaugh estate by the Ettrick Water, next door to the estate's Salmon Viewing Centre.

Visit websiteCall
Welcome

There's a lovely, easy feel to the Waterwheel, a timber cafe with a covered veranda and a view along the valley.

Stop for soup or a slice of home baking, and try the apple juice, pressed from apples grown in the estate's walled garden. Our Eyrie, inside the cafe, tells the story of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, with a bird of prey sound board to try. At the Salmon Viewing Centre, underwater cameras film the fish pass live, and you may see a salmon or an eel on its way through. Pick up a walks leaflet there, then follow the path past the old water wheel at the sawmill to the cauld. Sir John Murray built this weir across the Ettrick in 1854, and today two 11-ton Archimedes screws beside it make electricity. In May and June, and again from September to November, salmon leap up its face when the river is high.

A short drive awaySir Walter Scott's CourtroomSelkirk's town hall of 1804, now a museum with Sir Walter Scott's courtroom rebuilt inside.5 min by roadSee itSir Walter Scott's Courtroom on Selkirk's Market Place on a sunny day: the old town hall with its clock tower and tall spire, and Scott's statue on a plinth in front.
Before you go
Parking
A car park at the cafe, with accessible and coach parking.
Access
A ramp to the main entrance, and wheelchair access throughout.
Dogs
Welcome. On the estate walks, take care from April to July, when birds nest on the ground, and wherever there is livestock.
Contact
thewaterwheel@ymail.com, or 01750 22258.

Opening hours

Their website
Monday
10am–4pm
Tuesday
10am–4pm
Wednesday
10am–4pm
Thursday
10am–4pm
Friday
10am–4pm
Saturday
10am–4pm
Sunday
10am–4pm

Eaten here? Tell others what to order and when to go, and the best go on this page with your name.

Add your tip
Where it is

Off the A708, about two miles west of Selkirk, TD7 5LU.

Close byThe places nearest the cafe, by road.
  1. The Haining across its loch on a bright day, the Georgian house and an arcaded range beside it mirrored in the still water among tall trees.The HainingA Palladian mansion of 1794 above its own loch, in 160 acres of parkland and woods.2 miles 5 min by road
  2. Lochcarron of ScotlandLochcarron of ScotlandA working tartan mill at Selkirk, weaving over 700 tartans on site, with a visitor centre and shop and guided tours of the mill.2 miles 5 min by road
  3. Abbotsford, Home of Sir Walter ScottAbbotsford, Home of Sir Walter ScottSir Walter Scott's romantic house by the Tweed near Melrose, which he built and filled with his library and collections, and where he died in 1832.6 miles 13 min by road
  4. Stone tower with sash window above a white-framed door and lanternOld Gala HouseThe 16th-century home of the Lairds of Galashiels, now a free museum and gallery with a painted ceiling of 1635 and gardens.7 miles 16 min by road
  5. The Great Tapestry of Scotland's modern pale stone gallery with a zigzag roofline on a sunny street corner in Galashiels.The Great Tapestry of ScotlandA purpose-built gallery in Galashiels for 160 stitched panels made by more than 1,000 people, telling Scotland's story from 8500 BC to today.7 miles 17 min by road
  6. The Yarrow Stone, a grey slab spotted with lichen, inside its wooden enclosure beside a farm track, with an information board in front and green hills behind.Yarrow StoneA Latin memorial of the 400s or 500s to two British princes, in the Yarrow valley in the Scottish Borders.8 miles 12 min by road
  7. Melrose AbbeyMelrose AbbeyThe magnificent red sandstone ruin of Scotland's first Cistercian abbey, founded in 1136, where Robert the Bruce's heart is buried.9 miles 18 min by road
Directions
Sir Walter Scott's Courtroom on Selkirk's Market Place on a sunny day: the old town hall with its clock tower and tall spire, and Scott's statue on a plinth in front.AttractionsSir Walter Scott's Courtroom1.7 miles
Motorcycle parked outside Three Hills Coffee Co, with a red Coffee Roastery doorCafeThree Hills Coffee1.7 miles
The red and cream shopfront of Cameron's on Selkirk's High Street, its sign reading Camerons Oven Fresh Bakery, with Selkirk's Home Bakery painted on the window.CafeCameron's Bakery1.7 miles
Modern entrance with vertical "Lochcarron" lettering beside a stone church buildingAttractionsLochcarron Visitor Centre1.8 miles
Gravel path between flowerbeds leads to a wooden door in a stone wallAttractionsHarmony Garden8.6 miles
Apple trees in blossom in the orchard at Priorwood Garden, with the red stone ruin of Melrose Abbey beyond the wall.AttractionsPriorwood Garden8.7 miles
Whitewashed dining room with black chairs, wine racks and pendant lightsRestaurantsThe Hoebridge8.7 miles
A grey stone farmhouse with several chimneys stands against rolling hills, a wildflower meadow in the foreground.YarrowThe ScullerySleeps 2 · 8.9 miles
The white lattice deck of the Chain Bridge hanging across the River Tweed from its stone tower, with a heron in the shallows below.AttractionsThe Chain Bridge9.0 miles

Recommend to a friend

The Daily for 24 October, from Scotland with love. a stone arch bridge crossing a rushing gorge below a moss-covered cliffside building, autumn trees on both banks

The Daily

Arrives at 5am every day.

A free morning email to see what’s on this week, catch up on what’s happening in Scotland and find somewhere new to go.

Stay nearby

Places to stay near the cafe, and when each is next free.

A grey stone farmhouse with several chimneys stands against rolling hills, a wildflower meadow in the foreground.The Scullery
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Yarrow
  • 6 miles from the Waterwheel
Free 13–15 NovThe House in the Hill at dusk, its turf roof over walls of local stone and glass, a bedroom lit inside and the hot tub at the corner.The House in the Hill
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Jedburgh
  • 18 miles from the Waterwheel
Free 29–31 OctPlaces to stayEvery stay in the Scottish BordersAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
Hidden Scotland, the magazine

Scotland, in print.

We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

Get Issue 13Read it here
Find out more

For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .